In a tragic turn of events, a Florida man has been found guilty of several felonies after letting his teenage son drive without a license, resulting in a devastating crash that claimed the lives of a grandmother and her three grandchildren in 2023. The incident has left a lasting impact on the community and has brought the issue of underage driving to the forefront.

On Wednesday, an Osceola County jury rendered a guilty verdict against 68-year-old Richard Seymour Ferguson. He was convicted on four counts of manslaughter following the deaths of Trinidad Hernandez, aged 50, and her grandchildren, who were just 1, 9, and 11 years old. These tragic losses were a direct result of the reckless actions of his son, as detailed in court records reviewed by Law&Crime.

Richard Ferguson’s son, Ri’shard Ferguson, had previously entered a plea agreement with prosecutors. He admitted guilt to several manslaughter charges after his high-speed recklessness led to the deadly collision. On September 3, 2023, Ri’shard blew through a stop sign at over 75 mph, crashing into Hernandez’s vehicle. As part of his plea deal, Ri’shard will remain in a juvenile detention center until he reaches 19, followed by two years of supervised release.

The horrific crash occurred around 7 p.m. at the intersection of San Miguel Street and Laurel Avenue in Poinciana, Florida, a small community roughly 30 miles south of Orlando. Ri’shard Ferguson was behind the wheel of a white 2012 Chevy Impala, with several passengers in the car.

Trinidad Hernandez was operating a 2022 Honda HR-V crossover when the collision occurred. She and her 11-year-old granddaughter were killed instantly. Her other grandchildren, a 9-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl, were rushed to Poinciana Medical Center but, heartbreakingly, succumbed to their injuries shortly after arrival.

A witness was standing on the corner of the intersection where the crash occurred. He told investigators he rode his bike past a nearby park and heard the people in the Impala say something to the effect of “Let’s go,” followed by “the hard acceleration of an engine” as the vehicle passed him going northbound on Laurel Avenue.

Hernandez’s Honda was going westbound on San Miguel and had just entered the intersection when the witness estimated the Impala struck it while “traveling more than 100 mph at impact.” Authorities later estimated that Ri’shard Ferguson was traveling “between speeds of 76 and 83 mph.”

“The witness did not hear screeching of tires indicating either vehicle applied their brakes,” police wrote in the affidavit.

Police said data from the car showed Ri’shard Ferguson had the gas pedal pressed “at 100 percent” just prior to the collision and was at 90% at the time of impact.

Investigators said Richard Ferguson assisted his son in taking the car out that evening. From the affidavit:

Richard Ferguson knowingly assisted his son, [Ri’shard Ferguson], by moving one vehicle out of the way so that [Ri’shard Ferguson] could enter [the vehicle] which was parked in the driveway of his residence, permitted the three minor passengers, who were under Richard Ferguson’s supervision, to enter the vehicle, and then allowed his minor son to drive away with the three minor passengers, knowing that [Ri’shard Ferguson] was not a licensed driver.

One of the passengers who was with Richard Ferguson’s son that evening testified in court that he remembered Richard Ferguson telling the teens to remember to put their seatbelts on before they left in the car, Orlando CBS affiliate WKMG reported. He also said the older man did not make any effort to prevent the teens from leaving in the vehicle after seeing them get into the car.

A sentencing hearing had not been scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon. A pre-sentencing investigation report was ordered to be turned in to the court within 45 days.